Obinna Obioha facing 21 years jail term in America for $6.5 million wire fraud scam (Photo)

A Nigerian, Obinna Obiocha is facing a possible 21 years jail term in United States for defrauding innocent Americans and carrying out phishing on American companies private documentation purposely to steal the sum of $6.5 million in wire fraud scam.

This 31-year-old Nigerian, Obioha had been engaged in this illegal activity since last year and by all indication, he is on the road to prison.

Information we received showed that while in Nigeria, Obioha and his cohorts gained unauthorized entry (or hacked) into computers and email accounts used by the victims in the United States and around the world.

He consistently monitored email addresses in search of impending commercial transactions, and then created email addresses that appeared similar to – but varied slightly from – the victims’ legitimate email addresses.

By using fake emails, Obioha sends fraudulent invoices to victims, instructing them to wire funds to bank accounts that he and his cohorts controlled under the pretense they were making payments for actual deals previously negotiated. The accounts received money from victims in New York, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas, among other places.

Obioha was arrested on 6 October last year after he flew from Lagos, Nigeria to JFK International Airport. He has been in custody since then. He appeared in a Federal Court on Monday, April 17, where he admitted to the crime.

He went on to say he was involved in at least 50 wire transfers between January 2016 and September 2016, which saw about US$6.5 million wired into bank accounts he and his cohorts controlled.
Obioha faces up to 21 years in prison, a maximum US$250,000 fine and the possibility of being ordered to pay back what he stole. U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd is scheduled to sentence Obioha on 26 July 2017.

“Foreign criminal enterprises prey upon American businesses and are using increasingly sophisticated means to do so, as demonstrated by this scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.
He adds, “Obioha’s apprehension and conviction is a reminder that foreign nationals targeting American businesses cannot operate with impunity and that the reach of U.S. law enforcement agencies is global.”

Obioha’s case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Wayne A. Myers.